Everything Burns
by Moniker
Summary: COMPLETE! When an unstoppable supernatural being threatens the people of Gotham, can Batman bring himself to turn to his arch nemesis for help in bringing down the beast to save them? Joker/OC pairing and *very* minimal Batman/Joker slash
1. Mysterious Stranger

**I**. Mysterious Stranger

Batman sighed. The streets were glistening under the streetlights, damp from the evening's rain, the city blanketed by the night. Somewhere in the distance, flames leaped skyward from a building, no doubt crawling with people up to no good. And this certainly wasn't helping. His eyes moved over the banner hanging across the street triumphantly. On it was nothing but an address, and the enlarged image of a playing-card joker in the bottom right hand corner.

"Subtle as a brick", scoffed Batman to himself. Of course he knew this was a set-up of some kind, as it always was with Joker, but unfortunately, it was also the only place to start in the tedious process of catching him. Batman made his usual call to the Commissioner, telling him where he was going, what to look out for, and to have his crew prepared to kick down any given door at any given moment, should the need arise. Climbing into the Batmobile, though, Batman couldn't help but feel as if something about this night was anything but ordinary. This was becoming far too routine, now. The Joker lures Batman in, Batman fights the Joker, the Joker gets arrested only hours before he escapes... Will it ever end?

The thick rubber tires of the Batmobile squealed around every corner as Batman tore through the city. He weaved through the traffic and the pedestrians as if they were stationary objects that had been there since the city was born. He knew he was approaching his destination when the crowds of life began to thin out, and turn into industrial parks and squalor. If the Joker could build himself a dream house, it would be here.

"716 Legend Street" Batman whispered aloud. He found himself talking to himself more frequently of late. He chuckled a bit at the deliberate inappropriateness of using the term 'legend' to define such a... Whatever the Joker is. But 'legend' isn't it. He prepared himself as best as he could for whatever awaited his arrival behind that door, making sure his team was in place in case he needed to call for backup, and he entered the dark building.

The light switch to his left didn't work, and there was a humidity in the air that reeked of mildew and decay. All the doors were boarded up from the outside, leaving only a tight staircase accessible. The once light colored carpet was now barely visible through the various unidentifiable stains that pocked it, and the wall paper (painted over several times) barely clung to the wall in tatters. Climbing the stairs cautiously, Batman was not only afraid of what he might catch if he touched something here, but he also dared not think of all the things that had gone on here to leave the place in such a state.

When he got to the top of the stairs, the view did not surprise him much at all. More rooms, all boarded from the outside, leaving only one at the end of the hall open. The situation was feeling more like a trap by the second, but still he started toward the door cautiously, knowing it was very much like the Joker to wait for him to pass and then spring out from one of the other "boarded" doors. Surprisingly, though, he did not, and Batman reached the end of the hall without a problem. He peered into the room, as quiet as a mouse, before finally entering.

"Joker," He called into the seemingly vacant darkness "I know you're in here."

"Actually... He's not." Came the soft reply

A shadowy figure that had previously been blending into the wall across the room side stepped, positioning its self so that it was now in front of the window, blocking even more of what little light had been trickling into the room to begin with. It continued to speak.

"And that is the problem."

"Who are you?" Asked the Dark Knight, more leery of this situation now than he had previously been, "Where's the Joker?"

"I don't know where the Joker is." Said the figure. It turned now, still cloaked in darkness, and slinked toward it's visitor. Batman, showing no fear, stood in his place until the being was close enough to touch... Then closer. The being stood before the caped crusader at less than a foot away, it's head cast to the floor. Without words, it raised it's face to be in full view of it's visitor's. Batman was shocked at what he saw before him. Not a freak. Not a scarred and battered lackey of the Joker's, but a fair skinned, dark haired girl, who seemed to be just a face floating in the shadows. Her eyes, black onyx, changed before the Batman to a cool blue, and then a softer, honey brown as she spoke.

"Then why have you called me here?" Batman asked, studying her suspiciously

"Because I want you to help me catch him" she said, knowing that his answer would be less than satisfactory

Batman laughed aloud heartily, just as she'd expected

"Help YOU catch him?!" he laughed, "And just who ARE you? This entire city has been trying to catch Joker probably since before you were even born!"

"I highly doubt that." She muttered under her breath. She shifted uncomfortably out of Batman's sight, which made him nervous for only a minute before she reappeared in front of the window, leaning on the wide sill.

"I have bombs..." She said, deliberately pausing to gage his reaction, "In every school in the city."

She felt the tension in the room immediately skyrocket, and heard the material of Batman's costume tighten and stretch as his whole body went rigid with an impatient need to act, but she cut him off before he could interject

"They're safe. All the kids are safe. The bombs weren't put there to hurt the children, or anyone else. They were put there to trap the Joker, and, if my math is right, we should only need one. I have reason to believe that the schools are his next target." She said, knowing she had the Batman's full attention now.

"Then why do you need me? It sounds like you have this all planned out..." Batman questioned, not wanting to encourage her, but still needing to push for further details

"Because you can get the children out long before the bombs go off. I cannot." She said, handing him what looked barely like a detonator. "When you get back to where ever it is you come from, the Commissioner will have a package addressed to you. Inside it will have the blue-prints of the schools, locations of the bombs, and anything else you may need to know."

"And the Joker? What do you want with him?" Asked Batman, curious as to why she would go through so much trouble independently

"I want him to pay. By any means necessary. Either at your hands, or that of others. I am indifferent. But I want him to suffer, and when he does, I want to know about it." Came the reply, cold. Harsh.

"Why?" Asked Batman, knowing he might be pushing too hard

She was silent for a moment, using her arms to prop herself up on the sill of the window. She let her head hang heavily between her shoulders, and let out a long, barely audible sigh before she spoke again

"Because he made me... What I am today" She whispered reluctantly

"And what's that?" Batman asked softly

"A shell of my former self." She responded distantly, being sure to choose her words very carefully, "Since the day he murdered my family. I was supposed to be there, you know. In the house. But I had gone to the store for last minute preparations for our Thanksgiving dinner... I don't know if it was some kind of cruel joke or what, but how could I have known that the door was rigged to detonate the bomb? As soon as I turned the handle to come inside, the whole house was blown to pieces. I was blown clear into the middle of the street."

"And yet you have no scars?" Batman interjected, seeing holes in her story

She brushed the comment off and continued,

"I was pronounced dead at the hospital. Obviously, that didn't last for very long, but I don't remember much after that." She concluded, knowing that he wasn't buying it, but it didn't matter at that point.

"I see." He stated, more interested in her proposition on catching the Joker than her phony reasons why

"You will see that I am correct about the Joker's next target." She added, "And when you do, I trust you will utilize my work to help you catch him, and get those kids out in one piece."

"And if I don't?" Batman asked, almost threateningly

"You will. Because you know the Joker. And as much as you don't trust me, you DO trust him... To do the most evil thing that pops into that asylum he calls a brain at any given moment. You know as well as I do that if you do not accept my help on this, there will be half a city full of parents who will not be attending any more parent-teacher conferences. And no one wants that." She responded, matter-of-factly

"When the time comes, how will I find you?" Batman asked, realizing the conversation was coming to a close

"You won't. I'll find you. I'm always around... But I must go now." She said, straightening her hunched posture in the glistening moonlight

"Wait... It's not safe out there. I'll go with you." He said, starting toward her cautiously

"No." She responded sharply "I go alone."

A flash of black cleared the sill of the window in one swift motion, disappearing just as the Dark Knight's hand reached out to grab it. He frantically searched the ground below for any signs of the fallen girl, but she was no where to be seen. He paused at the widow for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then strode back out of the grungy hotel into the street. When he was sure he was within view of at least one of the men sent to watch his back, he broke radio silence.

"Did you see anyone else leave the building?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, sir. We saw you at the window just a moment ago, but no one else came in or out" Came the reply...


	2. The Impossible Choice

**II**. The Impossible Choice

Six days after meeting the girl in the hotel, her prophecy had began to come to light. The Joker had sent the entire city into an uproar by interrupting a public service announcement, stating his threats to level every school in Gotham until his erratic and insane demands were met, just as the stranger had foretold. Batman held the files in his hand. The ones the Commissioner had received in the mail days ago, as promised. He tried to wrap his mind around the concept of blowing up the schools in Gotham (as the stranger had suggested) to prevent the Joker from... Blowing up the schools in Gotham. It made no sense, and too much sense at the same time. Either way, the schools would be demolished. There really was no way to save them. The Joker wouldn't let the evening end any other way. The difference between the two scenarios was that in the int the first, with Batman in control, the children could be saved. In the latter, the Joker would see to it that this was not the case. But surely there had to be another way. Blowing up the schools could not be an option, could it? And what did the stranger mean when she said that they should 'need only one'? One bomb? One school? If that were the case, how could she possibly know which one? And why would she have put bombs in EVERY school? A backup plan, maybe? His mind raced with questions again. He knew what he HAD to do, but it's not what he wanted to do. It's what he secretly feared to do.

Batman glanced up at the monitors he sat in front of, looking in on all the children who had been evacuated only moments before, to an underground holding cell that no one knew existed. Not even Batman knew about it. The principal told him in secrecy when Batman demanded to get the kids out. The children were lead down a long, blackened tunnel to this cramped, underground room before the Joker even realized that they were gone. The entrance to the tunnel was behind 30 years of clutter, and a false wall, so even Batman was reassured that they would be safe there.

Batman let the files fall loosely between his fingertips onto his lap. There had to be something he could do to wrangle the Joker, distract him from his work, and thereby not only save the children, but the schools as well... Oh, how he wanted to believe that. But deep down, he knew the Joker too well. The whole force did. And they knew that this was not the case. To save the schools now would mean that they would have to be in several places, all over the city, at the exact same time. Not even Batman was capable of that. The bombs, being linked to a remote timer somewhere in the Jokers control, would be going off in some sort of order. Or, disorder, that is, in the case of the Joker. Not knowing in which order that would be put too many lives at risk. Schools could be rebuilt, but once lives are lost, they are gone forever. In good conscience, Batman knew he could not ask the Gotham police to go in and try to disarm the bombs. There were too many, in too many locations, and not knowing when the Joker had planned to set them off was far too risky for even an expert. The schools were empty now. No one would be hurt if they were destroyed, but these men still had families to go home to.

Batman studied the recording of the Joker's threat, lost in thought. He was not even aware of what he was staring at anymore. Not that it mattered anyway, the Joker always managed to make his feeds untraceable. Leaving no identifying marks to be seen on film. That said a lot for someone who spends as little time "planning" as the Joker said he did.

"Bullshit." Batman thought aloud "I have never seen so much careful and tedious planning before in my life."

Part of him did not want to give such a cruel fiend so much credit. Yes, he planned things very thoroughly, but the things he planned were still malicious and evil.

"If only he could have put that mind towards good instead of evil" Batman lamented, realizing only moments after saying it that whatever trace of a 'mind' the Joker may have once had, was long gone by now.

Batman realized he was currently playing the Joker's favorite game of all. The waiting game. But this time it was not under the Jokers terms. In fact, it was completely opposite of anything the Joker could have been expecting. If Batman knew the Joker... And he did... The Joker was waiting on the roof somewhere for Batman to show up, expecting a confrontation to ensue, and then bombs would begin to light up the night sky behind them, leaving Batman feeling defeated before him. The Joker reveled in such a thought. Humiliating Batman. Taking him down a notch or ten to his own level. But the Joker was in for a surprise this time, though. This time, the bombs would be going off before Batman even arrived. Joker would be cornered by the blasts, and when Batman arrived at the scene fashionably late, the Joker would be hauled into custody. Something was troubling Batman, though. How did this stranger know which bombs to set off and in what order? How did she know where the Joker would be, and when, to pull this off safely? Or did she even? Was it even possible to predict the Joker's next move before he made it? The entire Gotham police force had been trying unsuccessfully to do so for years... Or was this whole thing just going to turn into one big mess of casualties and destruction? Only time would tell...

"9:22" Batman spoke again to himself, "Showtime."

He held the detonator in his hands thoughtfully, still trying to roll over any other possibilities in his mind, unwilling use it. But he knew in his heart that the consequences for not doing so would be devastating. He gave it one final thought, and then he pushed the button that would begin a chain of events neither he, nor the city of Gotham could have ever prepared for. He descended the stairs of the building with a heavy heart before climbing into the Batmobile and speeding off into the darkness of the early night.

As he flew down the ever busy city streets, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the city was not aflame, crumbling around him. He glanced in the various directions of all the schools as he passed, and saw no signs of towering infernos and screaming onlookers. The people in the surrounding buildings as well as the children and faculty had long since been evacuated, just for precaution. One can never have enough precautions when dealing with the Joker. But something was amiss... Of all the schools in the city, why was this stranger sending him to the smallest one? The Joker never did anything 'small'. If he was going to blow something up, it would be the biggest thing he could get his hands on. The thing that would make the most impact on the community. Cause the most chaos. Radio silence broken by the Commissioner answered the question. Various explosions from within had leveled Gotham High, right down to the faculty parking garage. Not a single stick of furniture remained intact.

The Batmobile cut the last corner and screamed to a stop in front of a smoke laden heap where a school had once stood. The police had already made the scene, as directed by the stranger. They were scouring the rubble for any trace of the Joker, but without even getting out of the car, Batman knew he wasn't there. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back on the headrest. What the Hell was going on? What was the point of this? Who was responsible for the Joker's absence? Was this his work, or that of the stranger? Either way, something was definitely wrong. If this evening had gone according to the Joker's plan, every school in the city would be in ruins with the children inside, not just this one. The smallest. Empty. It didn't add up at all. But if things hadn't gone according to the Joker's plan... Then who's plan was it? Who could possibly come up with a plan devious enough to outwit the Joker? Who would even be stupid enough to try? Thoughts raced through the head of the Dark Knight like lightning. The only conclusion he could come to is that the two were working together, but then why stage this whole thing? Unless there was no point at all. Perhaps it was pure madness. Certainly not unlike the Joker's usual MO.

With defeat hanging heavily in the night air, and the Joker not around to witness it, Batman headed back to his cave. Back to the waiting game. Waiting to see who would make the next move, or if the Joker is really gone for good...


	3. Close Encounter

**III**. Close Encounter

The time: 9:19PM

Location: Gotham High, first floor

The Joker stood admiring his work. A smug look of self satisfaction crept across his face as he bounced around the hall between the administration offices gleefully.

"They've emptied the schools just for me?" He said, running a slick tongue over the scar on his cheek "How... Predictable"

He stopped for a moment to glance at the broken watch on his wrist. The glass was cracked, the minute hand was missing, and there was a gaping hole where the battery should have been.

"9:19" He said aloud in the empty hall, "11 minutes to showtime!"

He let out a loud hoot, as he made his way to the stair well. The plan was to make his way to the roof, where Batman was to meet him at 9:25 sharp (or else!). There, they would have they're normal confrontation: Batman would lose his temper, start beating the piss out of the Joker, and just as things really started to heat up, around 9:30PM, every bomb in every school in Gotham would go off within moments of each other, distracting Batman. The last of the bombs to go off would be that in the basement of Gotham High, causing the building to fall with the duo on top, and the Joker to make his daring escape from the roof before Batman realizes what's going on. Oh, how he loved to piss Batman off. He lived for it, actually. It was his addiction.

Halfway up the stairs, he paused, pretending to be out of breath for his own amusement. He took note of his broken watch again,

"9:22... Better hurry. Wouldn't want to miss our little date" He cooed to himself with a chuckle.

Suddenly a loud explosion ripped through the upper half of the small building, stopping the Joker in his tracks, and leaving a bewildered expression beneath the disheveled makeup on his face. He pointed to the ceiling as if addressing an audience,

"That's not mine..." He remarked, backing down the stairs slowly, with a giggle.

He turned around on the staircase, and began half-running, half-skipping merrily down the stair well. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that the bomb he had just heard wasn't his work, so who ever HAD placed it there was an immediate threat to his entire entertainment plans for the evening. Naturally, he assumed it was Batman. Batman loved to ruin his fun. Though it seemed a bit out of character for Batman to cause damage to a city building just to rattle the Joker, Batman was also the only one crazy enough to try and interfere with the Joker's work. As much as they hated each other... And they did... There was always an unspoken, mutual respect in each of them for the other's power. Batman would never kill the Joker, as much as he wanted to see him die. And the Joker would ever kill Batman, because doing so would render his own work pointless, as there would be no one left to try and stop him. Trying to stop him alone stirred up a bit of that chaos that the Joker longed for. At best, Batman would only catch him, beat on his bones a bit, and throw his ass into County until the Joker came up with a clever means of escape. Clever? Please. Escaping from County was merely a parlor trick for the Joker now, but there was no fun in it anymore. No excitement. And that, to the Joker, was the worst scenario of all.

Suddenly he found himself amidst several more explosions throughout the small building. The explosions were minor, but powerful enough to do a significant amount of damage to their immediate area. He knew it was only a matter of time before the whole building fell, and thusly, it was time for him to go. He took the only course he could seem to find through the sound of glass breaking, fire spreading, and furniture being blasted against the hard, concrete walls, which lead him down to the parking garage. He staggered backward through the door, watching the fireworks on the other side, and when he turned to make his escape through the garage, he found himself facing the side of a jet black Cadillac, engine running so quietly it was barely audible, lights on, and passenger door hanging open. Waiting.

Of course this was beyond suspicious to the Joker, but he lived for surprises and spontaneity. Also, something inside told him that this was Not one of Batman's many tricked out rides, so without so much as a second thought, he jumped inside, door slamming shut behind him.

Running his tongue over one of his scars, he fumbled deliberately with the seatbelt, clicking it awkwardly into place over himself before offering a single glance at the driver. I suppose he assumed he would either know the person, and handle the situation accordingly, or he would not be familiar with them, and he would introduce himself by threatening to kill them until they got him out of this building that was now erupting with even more minor, however crippling, explosions. He never expected what he saw when he finally glanced up.

A younger, fair skinned, dark haired girl sat behind the wheel, propping herself in the corner of the black leather interior, studying him. There was a smokey black tattoo of what looked like a tribal-style wolf's head on the right side of her neck, the lowest line of which ran down beneath her comfortably-fitting black and grey clothing. She wore one black leather glove on her left hand- A quirk that the Joker took an immediate liking to. She didn't say a word to him, nor him to her, she just gunned the gas, knocking him back into his seat abruptly.

By now, some of the cops had began to arrive at the scene as scheduled, and, with the school reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble around them, the exit to the parking garage was in clear view of everyone on the site. As expected, they jumped back in their vehicles and began pursuit when they saw the flash of a long, black Cadillac peel out of the garage, tinted windows obstructing their view of the driver. The cars that had them immediately turned on their lights and sirens, speeding after the plateless car, as it tore down the city streets, weaving skillfully in and out of the bustling traffic. The girl, glancing up nonchalantly at what she was doing on the rare occasion, slipped on the radio, tuning it to the local country station, and then relaxed back into her seat. The Joker stared intently at her, studying her so intensely that she could feel his eyes burning a hole into the side of her head. She smiled a halfway grin at this, but didn't give him the satisfaction of glancing over at him. He could tell that she was aware of him staring, and I suppose he was waiting for her to look over before making a comment. When she didn't, he found himself becoming slowly aware of the light-hearted music leaking through the speakers and filling his ears.

"You know," He said, licking the same scar, "When I think of good getaway music, 'todays hot country' doesn't usually come to mind..." He rolled his head from side to side, keeping his eyes focused directly on her

"It helps me think." She responded, not bothering to look over

She continued to bob and weave through the traffic at a tremendous speed, causing them both to bounce around in the vehicle a bit. She could feel him there, still staring at her, but still she remained silent.

"Soooooo..." Joker began, making clicking noises with his mouth to demonstrate to her how awkward he thought the situation was, "Where are we going?"

Silence.

His eyebrows raised over faded white makeup and he diverted his greasy, blackened eyes to the window, a bit put off before whispering "Okie dokie, then", pretending to be sheepish

He looked back at her patiently.

Silence.

Just when he had about given up on the conversation, she responded simply, "I haven't decided yet."

The Joker blinked, not quite satisfied with the answer, but too curious to argue, and leaned back in his seat. He glanced out the window at his mirror and realized that either the skill of the drivers, or the age of those old cop cars were no match for the speed and power of this Cadillac, as they were fading fast into the distance. The Cadillac crossed into a more familiar area for the Joker now... The industrial part of the city. And as the crowds and the traffic began to thin out, she did something that surprised even him- She shut off her headlights, casting the world around them into a deep black. This made the Joker nervous, and things that made the Joker nervous also excited him. There were very few street lights in this area, and the ones that were there barely worked, if at all. The headlights from the police cars following them were too far back to be of any help. Certainly too far back to spot them now, yet she handled the car as perfectly as if it were broad daylight. For a moment he wondered if she could somehow possibly see in this endless blackness. It was so thick you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face, let alone the road ahead of you, but he soon realized that she was just as blind as he was, now. It was little more than her memory of the road ahead that kept them from crashing. In the darkness, she barely saw the wicked smile creep across his face, but surely, it was there.

She pulled the car into the open gate of one of the many junkyards in the area, pushing a button on the console to close it behind her. The Joker was obviously intrigued by this point, and she laid the car to rest silently amongst the other wrecks. They waited there in silence until they saw the police cruisers zip past, still not willing to admit defeat, and when she was confident they had gone, she swung open her door, not bothering to close it behind her, and began walking away without a single word.

Naturally, the Joker could not allow this without so much as an explanation, so he fumbled open his own door, nearly hanging himself on the seatbelt he forgot to unclip, and after undoing it, stumbled awkwardly out of the vehicle himself. He stood next to the car motionless, and called to her

"Wait, wait, wait..." He began. With a lick of the lip, and a flick of some stray, green tinted hair from his eyes, he continued, "You know I still have to kill you, right?"

She stopped in her tracks. Shoulders slumping downward in feigned exhaustion, she kept her back to him so he wouldn't see her snicker at that comment. When she had finished her laugh, she turned to face him

"I may have just saved your life," She began, matter-of-factly, "and this is how you would repay me?" She said, without so much as a hint of worry in her voice

There was a good 5 yards in between them now, and the Joker felt it appropriate to use this opportunity to take a few steps forward. He didn't want to approach too quickly, have her run, and end up having to chase her down, afterall, so he left the distance at about 3 yards

"You're right. I guess that means I owe you one, and I suppose..." He said, rolling his eyes dramatically "you want me to let you go, am I right?"

"Not exactly." She said, not hesitating at all this time. She strode confidently over to him, catching him off guard a bit. He tensed up, rigid as she grew closer, not knowing what to expect next. She snaked her warm body between his two slightly stiffened arms, and pressed it up against his. His mind didn't work like that of a normal person, and he was barely aware that this kind of contact existed, never mind having experienced it before himself. He was completely dumbfounded as to what to do, and dared not bend his arms even slightly to return the touch. In one fluent motion, she ran her hand up his back softly, grabbing him forcibly by the back of the neck, and pulling him into a powerful kiss. Before he had time to register what was going on, she forced her tongue into his mouth, and tangled with his, coaxing it out to play. She felt him stiffening against her in a different way now, that seemed to be as much of a surprise to him as it was to her, and she became faintly aware of the way his arms had instinctually softened into an embrace around her. She pushed his shoulder back hard, breaking their embrace, and he stood before her, staring in anticipation of her next move. There was something erotic about him. Something almost... Innocent. She reached for his hand and dragged him willingly to the side of the car, where she forced him to the ground, and landed deliberately on top of him, straddling his lap. She could tell he liked a little bit of pain with his thrills, and she liked that about him. He tried to speak, but she silenced him before he had the chance, pulling a 12' hunting knife from where she had it tucked into her belt behind her. Without thinking, the Joker tried defensively to sit up, but the curious part of him allowed her to easily push him back to a laying position. She seductively licked the tip of the knife before lowering it to the cloth covering his stomach. He grabbed her hand just as the tip of the knife caught the fabric, stopping her in place

"It's custom material..." He said sarcastically, implying that he did not trust her enough to allow her to continue

She pulled her hand free.

"One more word and you will have a custom paint job as well." She said, again silencing him

She lowered the blade once more to his stomach, pressing down hard enough to make an indent on the flesh, but not hard enough to cut. She guided the knife upwards toward his throat slowly, savoring the sound of every thread of fabric tearing under the razor edge, until she got to the seam of the neck. He watched the blade, just inches from his face, snap through the last piece of cloth holding the shirt together, and it fell open inside his jacket, revealing the abused torso of a man, covered almost completely with scars from former lacerations. She ran her fingertips from the belt line of his pants, over the horrendous scars that made up his stomach and chest, grinding a bit on his lap as she moved. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, gently pushing the shirt and jacket off, but leaving them on the ground below him for moderate comfort. She took the knife again, running it down the side of his throat and chest, and across his stomach. He arched his back into the touch of the cool metal, trusting her more now, and she slipped off of him, to his right side. She unbuttoned his pants with one hand, and unzipped them slowly with the other, allowing him to feel each slow, agonizing click of the zipper as it descended. She lightly folded each side of the unzipped fabric back, brushing his lower abdomen with her soft hand and she did. His eyes were closed in ecstasy now, and he was not expecting the next sensation as a warm hand slipped into the newly exposed area and met him with a firm, yet sensual grasp. He almost lost it right there, but she expected that, and let him go, causing him to melt back to the Earth, disappointed and tense.

"Not yet" She warned, gliding her hands across his hips softly and pushing his pants downward, until he was fully exposed. She straddled him again, fully dressed, and grabbed his hands. She placed them on either side of the button on her pants, and arched her back toward him erotically.

"Now do me" She said, referring to her pants, but allowing his mind to interpret it as he would.

She could see his hands shaking nervously. This was not a normal situation for the Joker at all, and though he was certainly not complaining, for the first time in his life he felt intimidated, exhilarated, and speechless, all at once. She reached up cautiously and guided his hands, unbuttoning her pants. She helped him lower her zipper in the same slow, excruciating fashion as before, and she could feel the tension between them rising as she did so. He tugged lightly at the edge of the one leather glove she was wearing, but she pulled her hand away quickly.

"The glove stays. My apologies." She said, rising until she stood above him, pausing only briefly before lowering her pants to her ankles and then kicking them off to the side. Her shirt was just long enough to cover her, but somehow he knew that below it, she was just as naked as he was. She lowered herself into place once more, but did not allow for penetration. Instead, she grinded against him for a few moments, pausing when she thought he was going to release too soon. She reached for both his hands, and guided them under her shirt, pushing her brassiere out of the way. She placed his hands on her breasts, and continued to grind with him a little more while he stroked them softly... Curiously. She felt him getting harder against her body, eyes closed in a mixture of disbelief and arousal, and when she felt the time was right, she positioned him for entrance. She looked down at him with lust-filled eyes and understanding, and said "Now push... You wont regret it."

The sloppily painted face of the Joker now became very serious with mild fear and confusion, but she put her hands lightly on his hips to both guide and reassure him, and he started to recover his nerve. He did as he was told, pushing slightly, very cautiously. His whole demeanor changed, and he melted in ecstasy as he penetrated her, slowly at first. She studied his reaction, allowing him to savor the slow movement for a few moments, but then she regained control and began to increase the pace and depth. In a matter of moments she felt him tense up. He chuckled a bit, not knowing how to react to these new feelings, and he started thrusting with her. She could tell he was close to climaxing, and before he did, she started riding him harder, to the point of being almost painful for the both of them. She bent down slightly to run her tongue up his rib cage, and began sucking his left nipple softly. This strange, new sensation sent him right over the edge immediately, causing his whole body to go into a massive tremor. Every muscle in his abdomen tightened, causing him to raise off the ground a bit, and then slowly began to relax again, easing him back to a laying position the ground once more. After the feeling had subsided, he relaxed, still breathing heavily from the exertion, but that content feeling soon changed back into one of shock, as he slowly became aware of the feeling of a warm, sticky liquid running downward, and puddling between the two heaving bodies. She laughed, and assured him that it was normal before pulling back and handing him a towel.

They cleaned themselves up in silence. She just preferred the quiet, while he was too shocked and slightly embarrassed to know what to say. For once in his life, he had been rendered speechless. It was okay, though, because he found himself very tired at this point anyway, laying back down on his jacket. She grabbed a black blanket from the backseat of the car, and using it to cover herself, she laid atop him, skin on skin, head on his chest. It seemed almost surreal, and the Joker's mind was racing as they lied there in the moonlight until they both fell asleep. He awoke the next morning alone, still wrapped in the blanket. He sat up, shaking his head until his eyes would focus, and slowly began to remember the night before. He looked around for the girl, but she was no where to been seen. All that was left in her absence was a jokers card next to him in the sand, car keys placed on top.


	4. The Jackal

**IV**. The Jackal

After driving himself back to his lair, Joker sat in the car. He was absentmindedly jingling her keys in the palm of his hand, lost in thought. Out of the corner of his painted black eye, he could see one of his men peeping out at him from behind a boarded window. The sight of his nearly bald head bobbing up and down around the boards to try and get a better look was mildly annoying to the Joker, but at the same time, he realized that the goon didn't recognize the car, and was only making sure the compound didn't have any unexpected visitors. No excuses. Joker knew that by now his little lackey must have realized who was in the car, and found his continued attention unwanted. He raised the barrel of a pistol he had found in the glove box, and fired a single shot at the window, without so much as turning his head. Silence followed, and he wasn't sure if he had hit the guy or not, but his head wasn't in the window anymore.

Joker reached back into the glove box, where he found a small, coffee stained piece of paper with an address on it. The address was to a well known club only several blocks away, and under the address it had a time, today's date, and the word "costume??" written in fading ink. He quickly exited the vehicle, sprinted up and burst through the front door, getting the attention of everyone in the large room before him.

"So... Who wants to go to a party?!" He said with a half way grin, staring intently at the men in front of him.

No one dared answer, because the all knew that saying the wrong thing at any moment could cost them their lives. Besides, it didn't matter who WANTED to go anyway. Joker would grab whomever he saw fit and drag them along with him regardless. Inevitably, that's how they all got there in the first place.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and several members of Gotham's most elite crime force sat gathered around a table in a meeting that Batman had called. It was time they had a discussion about some old rumors, and some new evidence that had been brought to their attention recently. Batman, being a man of few words, allowed Commissioner Gordon to speak for him for the most part, unless otherwise necessary.

"As many of you know, " Gordon began with a soft sigh, knowing that this discussion might be more trouble than it was worth, "there has been a string of unsolved deaths in Gotham recently. Our records show at least three years of documented lives lost, seemingly without cause. It has been written off in the press as 'natural causes' to avoid any unjust panic, but we believe it is much more than that. One or two abnormal deaths might be considered a coincidence, but ten? Twenty? Hundreds? Granted we are dealing with a broad time frame here, but I think it's time we start reconsidering... Other possible causes of these deaths."

"Such as...?" Asked agent Dawson at the end of the table

Commissioner Gordon paused. He knew what he was about to say was going to cause an uproar, but it had to be said. He tried to choose his words very carefully.

"Such as... The Jackal" He finally spoke, closing his eyes to brace himself for their reactions

He was correct in doing so, because all at once he heard the group sigh, and complain, rolling their eyes, and commenting amongst themselves angrily.

"You have to be kidding! We've gone over this a thousand times." Replied a slightly annoyed Agent Perez, "The Jackal is a myth the media came up with to scare people into buying their papers. A creature so 'dark and sinister' that they nicknamed it 'Jackal' after Satan himself, 'born of the jackal'. It isn't real. It's a fairy tale. I mean really, a demonic creature that sneaks up on even the most healthy and attentive people, somehow killing them without leaving any evidence of unnatural causes, and then is gone before their body even hits the ground? It's preposterous. It's insane. It's..."

"In Gotham." Batman blurted, cutting her off. "I've seen it."

The room fell silent. They trusted Batman with their own lives, as well as the lives of thousands of people in the city. He would not lie, nor would he make a statement like that without being completely sure.

"It asked for me personally. The night we raided the hotel looking for the Joker. Everything that happened with Gotham High, the plans, the bombs, the escape... Was all it's idea." He said

"I thought you said that it was a person in the hotel that night? What makes you think it was the Jackal now? What did it look like?" Agent Dawson spoke again, reluctant to believe what he was hearing

"It was a person." Responded Batman, "It looked like a person. But I saw it move. I saw it blend into the shadows. I saw it's eyes turn three different colors in front of my own."

"So... We're hunting this person because their eyes change color?" Asked Agent Perez mockingly

"No," Batman corrected, "We're hunting it because I watched it jump out of a second story window and never touch the ground. We're hunting it because the men positioned on the roof tops, sent there to watch MY back, never saw it leave. We're hunting it because it's our only suspect in these deaths, and now it has kidnapped one of the most infamous and feared villains this city has ever seen as if he were a child playing in a sandbox, while you people cant keep him in a maximum security holding cell for more than 24 hours!"

Gordon put his hand on Batman's shoulder, suggesting he should calm down.

"I know it sounds crazy," Gordon said patiently to the crowd, "but it's the only lead we've got. In the time alone between Batman speaking to this thing and the Joker's disappearance, the unexplained deaths in this city have jumped 3."

"So if this thing really is the Jackal," Dawson began, "Where do we find it?"

"We don't." Replied Batman "It said when the time was right, it would find us."

"And if everything you're saying here is true, are we really just going to sit around and wait for it to take it's precious time? If it really is as dangerous as you make it out to be, don't you think we should take some kind of action?" Agent Perez demanded

"Of course I do!" Commissioner Gordon replied sharply, "So what are your ideas? Where do we begin? Anybody?"

Silence came from the group as they looked at each other hesitantly, each lacking an answer to the Commissioner's question. He had made his point.

Elsewhere, the Joker was arriving outside of the nightclub in style. Pulling up sloppily in the Cadillac left in his possession, he smiled sardonically at the valet. He tossed the bewildered man the keys without making eye contact, and headed toward the door, pushing silently past the people blocking his path with their idle chit-chat. It was amazing how many people wanted to avoid confrontation with the Joker, whether they recognized him or not. Something about his presence was very off-putting to 'normal' people. He pushed his way through the front door, and into the darkened club. He winced a bit at the sound of the music, blaring so loudly that the floor shook beneath him and his teeth rattled in his head. He looked around the dimly lit room through the strobe lights, and to his surprise, almost everyone there was wearing some form of costume. Nothing over the top, but enough to allow him the freedom to mingle seamlessly with the crowd, if only for a little while. And then he saw her. Something about her made her stand out in the crowd as she danced on the edge of the dance floor, apart from the group. She bounced and swayed with the music, but something about the expression on her face told the Joker that she wasn't really 'there'. She may have been physically, but mentally, she was off in space somewhere.

The song soon changed from the upbeat number she had been dancing to, to a marginally slower one, causing most of the other people to leave the floor. Only couples remained, and just as the girl turned to head over to the bar, the Joker decided to seize his new opportunity. He grabbed her from the side, pulling her into a slow, tango-like dance. She didn't look even a bit surprised, which irritated the Joker because there was no fun in it. She matched his pace, gloved hand on his shoulder, and proceeded to follow his strong lead.

"I didn't take you for a dancer." She said, having to yell over the music

"Actually," Joker responded, licking one of his scars, "You didn't take me at all. I don't even remember... You saying that you were leaving?"

"I had things to do." She said

"I see that", He bellowed back at her, barely able to hear the words himself

"I'm here on business." She responded, matter-of-factly

Joker laughed heartily at this, but she did not react to his laughter as he thought she would.

"We have a lot of... Catching up to do. Come with me tonight." Joker suggested, narrowing his painted eyes at her slightly

"Catching up?" She said, "We're as good as strangers, dear friend. You do not know me." She responded coldly

"But I do." He stated, as if he had expected that response, "Maybe not personally, but I know your type all too well. Keep in mind, I didn't come looking for you. You found me. And those bombs you set up in the school to try and 'trap' me? I couldn't have done better myself. Well, I could, but I'll give you this one. The bottom line is: You wanted me, you got me. Now what are you going to do with me? Because getting rid of me is a lot more difficult..."

She pulled back, breaking their dance.

"Let me go freshen up. Get the car." She said, awaiting his reaction as she backed slowly towards the bathroom doors.

Joker nodded his approval, but at the same time, he had a suspicion she would not be returning. She turned to walk away, but Joker called out to her, causing her to pause

"Hey beautiful... What's your name?" He yelled over the music

She turned to face him, but did not approach. She thought for a moment, as if she couldn't remember her own name, before finally shouting back to him, "Jack... I'm Jack."

"That's funny, you look more like a 'Jill' to me" He responded, laughing at his own joke

Again, she didn't utter a word. She just turned in place, and continued on to her destination in silence. Joker felt it only kind to wait a few moments before leaving, on the off chance that she wasn't lying about coming back, so he sat at the end of the bar, facing the bathroom doors patiently. He looked away only long enough to order a drink from the bartender. A 'Suffering Bastard"... With a name like that, how could he possibly resist?! But he looked back at the door, and knew no one had come out. He could tell because the crowd of people in front of it hadn't moved at all since he sat down. He continued to wait patiently, sipping his drink.

From the corner of his eye he saw a young, fairly attractive blond walk across the dance floor in the direction of the bathrooms, and when she reached the crowd, they dissipated to allow her entrance. She entered the bathroom as the Joker sat poking at the ice in his drink, and a few moments later, a shrill, blood-curdling shriek came from inside the women's room. Usually, that kind of terror is music to the Joker's ears, but this time, it just aroused his curiosity. He blended in perfectly, following the heard of people rushing over to the bathroom door to see what was going on. The DJ shut off the music, and the lights were brightened so everyone could see what was happening around them. The Joker peered over the shoulders of the large crowd as best he could, but all he could see with his short stature was the profile of the blond girl sobbing, being comforted by others, and a lot of blood on the walls. Soon the crowd began whispering about the situation, and he heard someone say "It was her friend..."

"Hmmm..." The Joker thought to himself, "Nope! Not her." He said aloud, turning the heads of a few people around him who thought maybe he knew more than they did

"Err... Not what I meant." He said to the curious people, as they turned back to the scene. He raised himself as high as he could, and with his best disguised voice, he shouted over the crowd, "Is there anyone else in there?"

"No" Came the reply

"Didn't think so." He whispered, turning around impatiently and heading toward the door

The valet had somehow already caught word, and was mingling in with the crowd inside, so the Joker went and got the car himself. On the windshield there was an unsigned note, but the Joker knew who had sent it. All it said was "Be patient. I haven't finished with you yet." He crumpled it into a ball and threw it on the ground, for once not in the mood to play games. He walked over to a pay phone on the edge of the parking lot, and called his home base. One of his minions answered the phone.

"Yea boss?" He said, startled by the unusual call

"I want you..." Joker began, exhaustedly, "To find Batman. Can you do that? Find Batman? And when you do, bring me the girl."

"Boss?" The lackey questioned, not knowing to whom the Joker was referring

"And bring a friend when you go," Joker continued, "You're going to need it." he said, hanging up the phone with a click.


	5. The Long Awaited Truth

**V**. The Long Awaited Truth

As always, the news of the death in the club reached Batman's ears first. Soon he found himself racing through the night once more to the scene of the 'crime', where he was met by Commissioner Gordon and several police officers. The officers were busy taking down names and information, trying to comfort those who needed it, but Batman had another agenda. He entered the club on a mission, ignoring all those around him. Pushing past the officers unnoticed, as well as the owner of the club, he made his way to the back rooms, where he found nothing of interest. He poked aimlessly through some papers laying on a desk, hoping that something would catch his eye, but alas, nothing.

Just as he turned to leave, a cool wind brushed past the exposed portion of his face, and when he looked, he saw an open window to his right side. For some reason, this struck him as odd. He was certain the window had been closed when he first entered the room. Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked over to the gaping hole in the wall and poked his head outside, glancing briefly in all directions. He saw nothing, except the ladder to the fire escape hanging directly over his head.

Deep in thought, Batman tried for a moment to imagine himself as a criminal. As The Jackal, even. He pictured himself having just committed a heinous murder, and needed to find a secure way out of the building before anyone found out what he had done. The front door would be too risky. Someone would surely spot him exiting the bathroom nervously, and then immediately walking out the front door, not to mention all the people that gathered on the walkway outside. The police would arrive before he even made it through the crowd! No, it had to be something else. Something more convenient. There were no windows in the bathroom it's self, save a tiny hole in the wall by the ceiling that even a child couldn't fit through, and the only other doors or windows the building had to offer were on the other side of padlocked doors, marked "associates only", and locked from the outside. She hadn't gone through any of the three emergency exits, either, because the alarm didn't sound, which only left the one window that Batman stood in front of.

Satisfied with this knowledge, Batman pulled himself through the window and out of the building, back into the night, and began to climb the fire escape. When he reached the top of the ladder, he could see a shadowy figure standing rigidly on the edge of the roof in silence. It stood on the opposite end of the building like a gargoyle, silhouetted against the city skyline. Batman climbed up onto the roof top, and stood facing the figure

"I know who you are. I know what you are, and I know what you have been doing." He growled to the creature's back, unwavering

There was a short pause before Batman heard a faint chuckle emerge from the far end of the rooftop, after which, the creature turned. It's eyes glowed blood red like two secluded Christmas lights, glistening through the shadows. It quickly raised a long, bony arm, and with a swift wrist motion, a powerful force dragged Batman by the chest across the rooftop, and into the creatures claw of a hand. It wrapped it's powerful fingers around Batman's throat, nearly crushing his esophagus, and lifted him into the air with one arm. The creature swung back around with Batman in it's clutch, and hung him precariously over the edge of the building as he struggled to regain his footing.

"You think you know," The creature hissed back at him, "but you have no fucking idea."

Kicking and fighting for oxygen as he dangled over the edge of the roof, Batman saw the creatures red eyes narrow slightly as it considered dropping him over the edge to his probable death. He tried unsuccessfully to grab at the creatures arm, but somehow, even he was no match for it's unrivaled strength.

Batman's keen senses heard the voices first, causing the creatures eyes to soften into a more recognizable pale blue as it's attention was diverted back toward the fire escape. He tried to use the opportunity to fight back, but soon realized that his attempts at doing so were merely an annoyance. Like a mosquito flying around the head of this creature, who now (as expected) he recognized as the same girl he had spoken with before.

Two of the Joker's men men rounded the top of the fire escape, and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight that lay before them. The girl's lip curled into an angry, defiant sneer as she glared at the two new visitors who had so rudely interrupted her. Single handedly, she pulled the Dark Knight back over the ledge, and tossed him carelessly down onto the rooftop, where he began coughing up blood and struggling to regain his bearings.

"Uhh..." One of the goons began nervously "Boss sent us here to get you." He said, almost certain that the comment would get him killed

"Is that so?" The girl responded, slightly out of breath

The other man nodded, obviously terrified

"Well then," She panted, "we mustn't keep him waiting! I would hate to see you gentlemen get... Fired."

She bowed her head slightly before gracefully turning away from them. With her back to the two men now, she positioned her hands behind her back to allow each man to approach cautiously, and to take one of her arms into his own hand. Batman, struggling to all fours now, was choking to breathe. He turned his head slightly to the side as he hacked, catching one last glimpse of the girl as they lead her back down the fire escape. She was looking at him intuitively, and when their eyes met, a cocky smile stretched across her face before she disappeared from his sight, leaving him there to recover.

The Joker stood alone, talking to himself in a black room, facing the far wall. The sound of the front entrance being opened caused him to fall silent, and when the dim light flickered on, he turned in place to face his guests.

They approached the Joker in the middle of the large room quietly, with Jack swinging from both of her arms, hung in between the Joker's two men like a child might hang between it's parents.

"I see you found the place alright?" The Joker said with a laugh, licking the scar on one side of his mouth

Jack stomped both feet to the ground with an attitude now, supporting her own body weight, but the comment was met with silence. She just looked at him inquisitively

He laughed again, this time approaching her in stride

"You... Are... Positively... ELECTRIC!" He said, close enough now to touch her, but he hesitated

Without so much as a single thought, she gently touched her hands to the elbows of the two men that still held her captive, and they both fell dead to the floor

"Necromancer, actually." She said, relishing the look of shock on his face, "If you want to be technical."

The Joker stood rigid in front of her, speechless, and she locked her eyes on him. Her head turned to follow his position as she moved slowly around to his back. She ran a delicate, now dangerous, finger up his long, slender arm, and squeezing his left shoulder slightly, she rested her chin on his right.

"Who are you?" He finally said, wrapping his mind around the situation

She laughed aloud this time, lowering her arms to wrap around his waist. She leaned with him from side to side like a child as she spoke softly in his ear

"I thought you knew all about my type?", she cooed, squeezing him tightly, "After all, I'm not hard to figure out. I am what this city... What the entire WORLD fears most of all. I am the beginning. I am the end. I am the entire circle of life wrapped up in this neat little package. Your lover. Your destiny. I am ultimately your fate. When it's a person's time to go, I emerge from the shadows and I finish the job. One day, you too will die in these arms as many have before you, and on that day, you can say you truly know me."

"You're saying... You are..." Joker managed to stammer before she finished

"Death. Correct. I was old when this universe was young, and I am not the first of my kind. I cannot be harmed. I cannot be killed. And most importantly, I cannot be seen as an icon by the public. My very existence depends on it. And that is why I came to you." She purred, nuzzling into his neck, "I do not kill people, you see. Well, I do. But not of my own volition. I take my orders from a higher power, of which no mortal could begin to understand. I do not do what I do because I want to. I do it because I have to. Because without death, the world would be overridden with plague and pestilence."

"But why do you need me?" Joker begged, relaxing into her haunting touch

"Because of the problem that is Batman." She said, pulling his hips firmly into her own as she swayed behind him, kissing the surprisingly soft skin of his neck delicately, "Batman has been investigating my whole operation long before the police knew anything about it. Batman, though not directly responsible, is feeding the media's stories about 'The Jackal", which is drawing more attention to me."

"So?" He questioned, as softly as a sigh

"So..." She continued, still holding him tightly as she kissed up his neck softly, "If the media starts to see me as a person... A being... Rather than a myth or an entity, they will try to create a resistance against me. It is in their nature to do so. To learn to fear me, and then try to destroy me. Right now, when they see death, they see it as 'just something that happens to everyone, eventually', which is how it should be. They see it as an inevitability, and because of that, they've learned to accept it. But once they start to see death as something that can potentially be stopped, like a person... Like 'The Jackal', they will try to do so. They will try to fight me, they will fail, and many will lose their lives as a result. The rest will be driven to madness on a level that even you cant even touch. The world as we know it, in essence, will end, because as unpleasant as it may be, death IS inevitable. Even to me. So naturally, that cannot be allowed to happen, which is where my higher power comes into place. If things begin going down that path, and the fate of the world lies in a state of jeopardy, I will be taken out of the equation. Permanently. The higher power will take control of my job until things balance back out, and everyone goes back to believing that 'The Jackal' was just a fairy tale. Then, I get replaced by someone else, as I replaced someone else long ago, and time marches on."

"I thought you said you don't kill, and you couldn't be killed..." He moaned softly, feeling her hands once again exploring his body

"I can only be killed two ways," She continued, "One, I just just told you. And the second is by my own choice. By releasing the necromancer's most powerful ability."

"And what's that?" He purred

"Giving the gift of life. Sacrificing my own life to give life back to another. And I only kill... If something gets in my way. If something, or someONE... Threatens my existence. Obviously, I cannot afford to let that happen, which is why I need you" She said

"What do you need me to do?" He said, turning to putty in her hands as she stroked his chest softly through his jacket

"I need you..." She whispered, "to do what you do. To fight Batman with everything you've got, and keep him off my ass until the media dies down. Because if I die... My job goes to you."

The Joker pulled away sharply, and turned to face her. Doubled over in laughter, he clapped his hands hysterically.

"You want ME to fight off Batman for you, because if I don't, I will be given the ultimate power over life and death, and will become completely unstoppable? Is that what you're saying? Isn't there supposed to be some sort of 'downside' when you're trying to convince someone to do something like this for you? Do you KNOW who you're talking to here!?" He said, still laughing heartily

"Yes, I do." She responded, "I'm talking to a man who spends every waking moment of every day and night praying for death to find him. A man that deliberately puts himself in constant danger because he's too much of a coward to close the deal himself."

She approached until she stood at arms distance in front of him, not touching, before she continued, "Along with great power comes great responsibility, my friend. You will have duties you will need to fulfill, and the consequences for not doing so are far worse than any death you could possibly imagine for yourself. You will spend the rest of eternity bowing to the every beck and call of your higher power, and your days of 'living without rules' will long be over. Imagine wanting death to come for you, much like you do now, but knowing that it never will. Weeks pass like seconds. Years? Like minutes. And still time does not move... I was much like you once. Bent on domination and chaos. I thought receiving these powers would be the greatest thing that ever happened to me, but let me tell you this- You will have all your fun in the course of a week, and then your spirit will break. The moment you realize that the end you long for so desperately will never come, your spirit will break like that of all those who came before you."

Joker thought about it for a minute before realizing that she was right. Becoming... What she is, would be the ultimate form of torture for him, because he DID pray for death. Regularly. I guess he just never thought that when it actually showed up, he would have such meaningful conversations with it.

"Then why don't you just kill Batman?" Joker asked, chuckling a bit at the thoughts racing through his head

"I've thought about it." She began, "I've even come close to doing it. But Gotham needs Batman. Not just to save their lives, but to protect them. No one should ever have to live in fear. It's a very ugly state. And he keeps them from doing just that. And maybe you haven't realized it yet," she paused, making sure she had his full attention, "but you and Batman are linked. A very powerful bond holds the two of you together, which is why neither of you can leave the city for more than a few days without returning, and neither of you will ever kill the other. If Batman dies... You die."

"That's impossible." Joker said, shifting uncomfortably at the thought

"Seemingly so." She said, "But it's the truth. Don't argue with a prophet, son, you will lose."

"No, I wont argue. Instead, I'll just go get beaten within an inch of my life by Batman to save YOUR ass?" He questioned sarcastically

"I was going to suggest kidnapping him, actually. Or would that be 'Batnapping'?" She thought aloud

"And then do what with him!? I don't think he'll like that very much..." Joker said, shifting uncomfortably

"Bring him here..." She concluded, and with a steady hand, she scratched down an address on a piece of paper, passing it to the Joker.

Joker took the card, and glancing at it quickly, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh you gotta be kidding..." He said, eyebrows raised

"Well... Either you keep the Batman from trying to kill me," She said "or I kill the Batman."

With that, she turned and left the room, leaving the Joker standing alone in the empty room to consider her proposition.


	6. The Clown Prince

**VI**. The Clown Prince

When Batman awoke, he found himself loosely tied to what felt like a pole, somewhere on a rooftop in the middle of the city. He had no idea where he was, and his head was still swimming too much to figure it out. A million thoughts and questions immediately began pouring though his head about where he might be, and what was happening around him, but they were all things he was unable to answer. The night hung heavy all around him, as if the sun had set only a few hours ago, and he could smell the distinct musk of rain looming in the air.

They say that chloroform is odorless, but when you've spent the greater portion of your life investigating crimes and other hostile situations, you come to the conclusion that this (as well as various other commonly believed 'truths') is not true. In fact, to a well trained nose, the scent lingers in the air long after the potency of the drug has worn off, and in this case, it lingered in Batman's costume, as he struggled against the ties that bound him. There was very little to no effort in getting the ties to come loose, but Batman tried to stand up too quickly for his semi-unconscious body to handle, causing him to double back over, resting his forearms on his knees, and his head in his hands. From somewhere behind him he heard a familiar voice speaking through the darkness

"You know..." Batman heard the sloppy sound of a wet tongue caressing the inside of a brutal scar before the voice continued, "This really wasn't my idea."

The Joker stepped out from the shadows and into Batman's currently limited range of vision.

"Of course it wasn't," Batman struggled, still trying to wake up, "you're not strong, fast, or smart enough to be able to get me up here by yourself."

"Oooh!" Joker winced sarcastically as if Batman had delivered a real zinger, "I hate to disappoint, but that WAS my work, actually." He said, pacing in front of the Dark Knight like an animal stalking it's prey

"The chloroform was a nice touch." Batman remarked, trying to focus

"Why thank you!" Joker responded , over exaggerating his hand gestures, "I had thought to get the lavender scented chloroform, but apparently it's very popular this time of year. Tell me, are you more of a 'lilac' man, or 'country garden'?" He asked with a giggle

Batman just brushed off the idiocy and stood slowly, much more clear-headed than the first time he had tried. The Joker raised his hands in front of himself, imitating defensiveness, and spoke slowly, so as not to set Batman off.

"Now," He began, licking his scar out of habit, "There's a reason I tied you very loosely."

"And what's that?" Batman asked, amused at the sight of the Joker, who was obviously intimidated even though he hadn't moved an inch

The Joker fidgeted nervously.

"... I forget." He replied.

"Where am I?" Batman demanded, still unable to place his surroundings

"That... Umm..." The Joker stammered, "You know, I really don't think you'd believe me if I- ... Sigh That's not important right now. Wouldn't you rather know where Jack... Err.. 'The Jackal'... is?"

The Joker's poor attempt to change the subject paid off.

"Yes." Came the raspy reply

"Well," Joker said, throwing his arms up to his sides demonstratively, "here she is."

Batman looked around the Joker lazily, already knowing that there was no one there

"She is... Everywhere." Joker began, trying to explain something he didn't quite understand himself, "You have to leave her alone. You cannot stop her by yourself... You cannot...Stop her... Period."

The Joker was trying to be very cautious, as he sensed Batman's anger growing with every word, but it didn't work. Next thing he knew, Batman had lunged forward, pinning him tightly to a nearby pole by the scruff of the jacket covering his right shoulder. The Dark Knight's right hand held the dusty material covering the Joker's soft skin firmly in place, the jagged edges of his blackened gauntlet grazing his enemy's throat with every breath.

"I'm damned sure going to try." Batman growled, keeping intense eye contact with the nervous wreck of a criminal before him

"Please," For once, the Joker actually begged, "You don't understand..."

But it was too late. Out of the corner of his eye, Batman spotted the Jackal leaning smugly on one of the other poles to his right. He forcefully released his grip on the Joker, pushing him backwards into the pole slightly, before turning to face his new foe. The Jackal pulled herself off of the wall, and took a few confident steps toward the center of the roof, pausing in between as if she were waiting for something. As expected, Batman turned to follow her, as she slowly made her way to the other end of the building, but in desperation, the Joker grabbed him around the waist and held on tightly.

"Wai... Wait!" He struggled, trying hard to hold the caped figure with his head pressed into Batman's back like a little kid, "You don't understand!"

He dragged the Joker a few feet before Batman stopped trying to lurch forward under the extra weight, and turned to face him. Joker stood upright, reluctant to release his grip on Batman in case he tried to move again, but didn't say anything at first. Sure enough, Batman shot him a stern look, and then tried to struggle backwards out of the Jokers clutch and toward the waiting Jackal. Desperate for a way to stop him, the Joker released Batman's waist, catching his shoulders instead, and pulled him into a passionate kiss. A kiss that was abruptly halted by Batman pushing the Joker backwards in a mix of shock and disgust.

"What the fu- ..." Batman managed to blurt before the Joker interrupted him

"Hey, that's how she got my attention." Joker responded with a shrug that suggested he was out of ideas

Batman glared at him fiercely before returning to his intentional target. He stalked along side of the Jackal, who, standing with her back to them, sensed his presence and began to move backwards around him slowly. She kept her eyes fixated on him until he came to a stop in front of her. The two heroes now stood on either side of her. She was posed between them fearlessly like a twisted game of monkey in the middle. On her left, stood the Joker, who wanted nothing more than to have one more night in her arms. On the right, stood Batman, who would give his last dying breath for the opportunity to tear her head from her shoulders. The three paused, frozen in time, unsure of what the other would do next. Joker broke the silence, trying to catch her attention

"Hey... Umm... Wanna know how I got these scars?" He said, staring at her intently

"Not particularly." She responded, coldly

No sooner had she said that, Batman lunged forward at her, unable to control his anger any longer. The sudden movement from Batman caused the Joker to instinctually lunge forward as well to try and stop him, but with a snap of the fingers, she disappeared between them in a feint cloud of grey smoke. The two rivals collided in mid air, locking arms around each others shoulders, faces almost touching. This was the second time Batman found himself in this position with the Joker tonight, and he was not thrilled about the situation. The Joker grinned awkwardly at Batman's obvious lack of amusement, as they hung suspended in time for less than a moment. Batman's eyes narrowed angrily at his foe before pushing him back forcefully.

Again, he turned to face the Jackal, reappearing behind them. There was a white rage building up inside of him now so strong that he was surprised to feel himself pause when she started to speak

"You should have listened to him," She yelled over an unidentifiable noise that began to shake the very building they stood on, "you should have just left well enough alone. But now it's too late."

Like a hologram, she faded into the darkness, leaving nothing standing before them but each other. A click of the door behind them, leading from the roof to the stairwell, caused the two remaining men to turn in it's direction, where their eyes were met by something they could not have possibly expected. A fuzzy, ghost-like version of the Joker stumbled clumsily through the door, checking his watch for the time. He mumbled something inaudibly, but the words were lost in the night. The image cast it's eyes quickly up to the heavens to see the lights of a passing helicopter, as the real Joker and Batman looked at each other in complete disbelief

"Is that REALLY what I look like?!" The Joker asked Batman, eyebrows raised slightly, making light of the situation

Deep down Batman knew that a comment like that was not out of the ordinary for the Joker, but he couldn't help feeling a bit shocked as he heard the solitary, exasperated word "..WHAT?!" escape his throat

"Well," Joker began, looking towards the sky thoughtfully, "I always thought that coat was flattering but after tonight I just don't knnnnooo- ..." He was cut off suddenly as the ghost-like image of himself came closer, passing right through his real body. It sent shivers up his spine, and caused him to flinch just a little, in an effort to get out of it's way. Batman found amusement in that.

He didn't, however, find so much amusement when the fuzzy apparition of himself descended from the night's sky, landing behind the image of the Joker. His image looked that of the Joker up and down carefully before approaching, causing the other vision to turn and face him

"Were you just checking me out?" The real Joker exclaimed, gleefully mocking, "You TOTALLY were.."

Even the Joker's best valley-girl impression couldn't break Batman's concentration on the two incorporeal figures. He listened hard to try and catch the conversation they seemed to be having, but there was nothing to be heard, and the Joker's incessant talking was not aiding the situation

"Seriously," Batman said, probably to the wrong person, "do you ever shut up? This whole situation doesn't strike you even the least bit odd?"

The Joker smiled crookedly. He even chuckled a bit before pointing to himself casually and saying, "Does this look like the face of a man that finds ANY situation odd?"

A fight erupting between the two apparitions put a halt on their semi-pointless conversation. The image of Batman delivered several powerful blows to that of the Joker, causing the real Joker to reel back and wince in a mocked state of pain. Batman looked unimpressed, until the Earth beneath them began to quiver, causing even the apparitions to stop fighting and brace themselves against the violent shake. Suddenly, a violent explosion rocked the city, and, desperate to find his bearings, Batman couldn't help but finally recognize the area he was in. As the building began to buckle and cave, Batman cast a frightened look at the Joker, who's complacent expression suggested that he was already well aware of their location: Gotham High School. The time? 9:30PM

"But this is impossible," Batman thought to himself in his final moments before the building fell in on it's self, "This building was completely destroyed. I passed it on the way... Here. Wait, that doesn't make sense. I don't make sense..."

But the Joker had a pretty good idea of what was going on- The Jackal had somehow turned back the clocks, causing the whole city to forget everything they thought they knew about her. Even though she had planted the bombs responsible for the explosions that were destroying the very building they stood on, and every other school in the district, they were no longer HERS. Thanks to his little public service announcement threatening to blow up the schools, the credit for this situation would now go to the Joker. He smiled a half-way grin as all the pieces to the puzzle began to fall together for him, and as he slowly realized what her plan had been all along, and the building began to fall, he whispered to himself "Very nice..."

The rest happened so fast that neither Batman nor the Joker could remember much about it, but next they knew, they were looking on as the smoke, dust, and debris settled into the now chaotic evening around them. Neither man spoke, as slowly they both came to the same realization that something was terribly amiss here. They were no longer looking at the world through their usual perspective, but rather looking down on the scene of the explosion from above. From their vantage point they saw heaps of mangled concrete and twisted metal. Things that had once resembled school lockers, now stood alone in the rubble, unlocked doors blown almost completely off. And when the dust finally settled, they saw the one thing that disturbed them most of all- Two twisted bodies, laying broken amongst the carnage, side by side. Bloodied... Unmoving... Barely recognizable.

Batman could feel the Joker's presence around him, and he turned to face the other man, but no one was there to be seen. Still, somehow he knew that the Joker was there, and so he spoke blindly to him

"Are we..." He choked, unable to continue

"I think we are." The Joker responded from the direction Batman was looking

Batman tried to move, and he found himself remarkably light. Without a body there to hold him back, he could move around quite freely, yet rather than enjoy his new found freedom, he found himself floating back down to the scene, in the direction of his body. The Joker, somehow knowing that Batman had moved in this direction without seeing him, followed suit. They floated softly to the ground, where they hovered over the wreckage, trying to come to terms with the situation. There were police poking all around behind them, but neither could hear what was being said.

Then, out of the shadows emerged a familiar figure, hated by at least one of them. The Jackal, choosing not to be seen at the time, moved seamlessly through the chaotic crime scene unnoticed. She paused when she reached the Joker and Batman, as if she could see them perfectly

"I warned you." She began, regretfully, "I told you to leave. To leave me alone, and you just couldn't listen."

Oddly enough, Batman didn't find himself being filled with his usual amount of insatiable rage at this point, but rather with a feeling that was more... Compliant. Understanding, if you will. He realized that in life, he had let his anger get the better of him, and sometimes he had even put himself into grave danger because of it. Danger that could have easily been avoided had he just taken the time to calm down, and not jump the gun to quickly. In essence, and as much as he hated to admit it, he realized that the Jackal was right.

"No, I was not." She said, as if she had been reading his thoughts, "I allowed my need to teach a lesson and to prove a point to take control of my actions. I allowed myself to kill a hero. A protector... One that Gotham has not quite finished with yet. Which is why I must do what I am about to do..." She said, lowering her head respectfully to the fallen hero

"I wouldn't suggest mentioning me to your cop friends, Bruce." She said, deliberately uncovering Batman's true identity as if it even mattered now, "They will have no recollection of the events prior to this evening. That includes the raid on the hotel, as well as all the blue prints and assorted paperwork I sent you. It's all gone."

"But- ..." Batman began, until she waved her hand to silence him

The mood around them changed dramatically at that point, and Batman realized that only she and the Joker understood what was really going on, and he sensed that the Joker was very upset with the situation. Before the Joker had time to object, however, she turned in his direction and winked at him.

"Take care of yourself, kid." She said solemnly.

Again, she lowered her head. Her arms raised slowly out to either side, as a blindingly bright light surrounded her, and then grew until it blanketed the entire world around them in it's heavenly glow. Surprisingly, the three of them seemed to be the only ones who saw it, as the police on the scene continued their investigation around them. The light grew brighter, and brighter, and brighter, until it felt as if it could literally burn the retinas right out of the eyes that they no longer had, and then suddenly everything went black.

The Joker sat up, causing the nearby Agent Dawson to jump three feet in the air with surprise. He sat there in the rubble for a moment, rubbing the brow of his worn, painted face. When he finally realized what was going on, and that he was in fact alive, he jumped to his feet, yelling "No! No! No! NO!!" at the top of his lungs. Every one of the surrounding agents stared at him, mouths agape. I suppose they expected him to run, or pull some sort of fancy trickery and escape, but he did not. He just slumped back down to the ground, head in his hands. And though to this day it cannot be proven, some even said they heard him sobbing quietly into his lap.

That's when Batman sat up. The Joker was very much surprised to see this, rising quickly to his feet once more, and the startled expression on his face was seen by the entire department. Agent Perez, who had been standing right next to Batman's lifeless body, fainted.

Much like the Joker, Batman sat for a moment, trying to focus. He rubbed his eyes a bit, before realizing that he, too, was alive once more. By that time, something inside of the Joker's twisted head had clicked, and he had begun to accept his new fate, when Batman shot him a confused (almost frantic) look. Joker just smiled back at him awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to tell Batman that the link they shared was probably responsible for saving his life. Batman would never believe it anyway.

Both men wobbled uneasily on their feet at first, and were subsequently escorted down what used to be the school's walkway to the edge of a cement wall, where they were seated beside an open ambulance. The medic poked and prodded, amazingly finding nothing wrong with either of them, while they waited in silence for Commissioner Gordon to come over.

Commissioner Gordon approached, hands clasped curiously behind him, as he stood in front of the two men. He could tell that something was drastically different about both of them, as they sat side by side without so much as a rude comment, let alone any trace of a life-long rivalry. He cleared his throat before addressing them.

"Wanna tell me what happened up there, boys?" He questioned reluctantly

He was met by silence for a moment or two, until Batman spoke, breaking it.

"Gordon..." He said, unsure if he should even try, "did you see ANYONE else up there on the roof with us?"

"Not a soul," Commissioner Gordon replied, "Why?"

He could tell that this answer distressed Batman greatly, as he sat with his head hung heavily between his shoulders, so Commissioner Gordon reached for his walkie-talkie.

"Hey Trev, are you still on scene?" He spoke into it, addressing Trevor, the helicopter pilot

"Yes, sir, Commissioner, do you need something?" Came the broken reply

"Yeah." Commissioner Gordon began, "I need to know if you saw Batman on the roof when you were flying overhead. What did you see? What was going on? Who else was there? ..."

"Yea, I could see him from the chopper." Trevor responded, "He was up there with the Joker, but there was no one else. They fought for a few minutes, but when the bombs started going off, they just stood there, looking at each other. I cant believe they survived that!" The pilot said

"They didn't." Commissioner Gordon said softly, away from the walkie-talkie. He was addressing Batman more than the fiend to his right when he spoke, "They pronounced you both dead on the scene. I checked your pulses personally. So what really happened?" He asked.

Part of him knew that Batman wouldn't respond, so when the question was met with silence, he wasn't surprised. Then, from the corner of his eye, Commissioner Gordon saw a sick, twisted smile creep across the Joker's face.

"I could tell you," He giggled, "but then I'll have to kill you."


End file.
